NEWS
Eleven Austrian Talents Celebrated Bundesliga Debut at Season Start
A total of eleven Austrian players celebrated their top-flight debut on the opening matchday and were honored by the league for it.
The new ADMIRAL Bundesliga season delivered several premieres right from the start.
A total of eleven Austrian players made their first appearance in the highest domestic league on the opening matchday of the 2026/27 season.
The Bundesliga subsequently honored all debutants with an award. No less than four clubs sent two Bundesliga newcomers into the race each.
WSG Duo Impresses Against Champions Sturm
For WSG Tirol, new signing Salko Hamzic (19) made his Bundesliga debut between the posts against champions SK Sturm Graz. The goalkeeper, who joined from Red Bull Salzburg, played the full 90 minutes and significantly contributed to the 1-1 draw with several strong saves.
Raphael Gschösser (20) also celebrated his Bundesliga premiere against the Graz side. The defensive midfielder played a decisive role in the equalizer, providing the assist for Michael Olakigbe's 1-1 final score.
Debutants at Hartberg, Salzburg, WAC, and Austria
TSV Hartberg also relied on two local talents. While striker Matthias Postl (20) got his first taste of Bundesliga action, Nikolaus Feldhofer (19), son of GAK coach Ferdinand Feldhofer, made a brief appearance in the 0-1 defeat against Red Bull Salzburg.
For the Salzburg side, centre-back Valentin Zabransky (19) was in the starting eleven and completed his Bundesliga debut over the full distance.
Wolfsberger AC also let two youngsters make their top-flight debut in the 3-0 home victory over Austria Wien. Marco Schabauer (20) was in the starting eleven before Phillip Verhounig (20) replaced him in the 60th minute, thus also celebrating his Bundesliga premiere.
For Austria Wien, Daniel Nnodim (18) and Hasan Deshishku (18) were substituted in during the final phase, thus making their first appearances in the highest Austrian league.
The list is completed by Oliver Sorg (18), who debuted in SV Ried's 1-1 draw against Austria Lustenau, as well as Niklas Pertlwieser, who collected his first Bundesliga minutes for the Vorarlberg side.
